Unsent and Unseen
by Gypsy Tollamer
Summary: Chapter Eleven Up! Cross-over with Gundam Wing. Set in Spira, Auron allows the other guardians to see into his life in a way he hasn't before. Yaoi warning for future chapters.
1. Default Chapter

Unsent and Unseen

By Gypsy Tollamer

Gypsy: This is my first cross over ever! Isn't that nuts? I've been writing since high school and I never even thought to do a cross over by myself. Well, I've decided to merge my two favorite worlds together. Gundam of course and then the world of Final Fantasy X. The fic takes place in the FFX universe, after the events in Bevelle. It starts in the part of the woods where the others are waiting after Yuna and Tidus return from the Lake… (hee hee) They were doing it. (hee hee)

Auron sat on the grass patiently. His mind filled with questions. His mind worried with what he was about to do. He had done it once before but Braska had been a kind man who would have done anything Auron asked. They trusted each other. Years of being unsent had left Auron to not trust as much as he should. Tidus and Yuna entered the small clearing. He raised an eyebrow when they entered holding hands. He had suspected love between them but now the predictions were verified. He saw Wakka, make a grunt in the back of his throat.

"She's really like your sister, huh?" Auron asked the man.

"She needs to concentrate on her pilgrimage, not Tidus' ass." Wakka said softly to Auron. Auron chuckled to himself.

"So," Lulu said adjusting her skirts as she stood up. 'To the calm lands?"

'Not yet." Auron said standing up. "We need to go somewhere before we continue that way."

"Auron, you can go to the bathroom by yourself. I've seen you!" Tidus said jokingly. Yuna giggled and smiled at Auron.

'Don't be a smart ass. You'll turn into your father." Auron said.

Tidus frowned and pouted. He didn't like being compared to Jecht. Ever.

"We need to go this way." Auron pointed into the deeper woods. There was a small beaten, and hardly visible path there.

'There's nothing that way." Rikku said. "It's not on the map." She pulled out a paper, prepared to back up her words. Rikku played her defenses to perfection. Always prepared to defend her actions, words and beliefs. The Al Bhed valued that a lot.

"It's not on any map. It's a tiny village. The last one we'll see until the Ronso settlement on Gagazet." Auron sighed. "Braska loved it there."

"My father went there?" Yuna asked.

"And stayed a week." Auron said laughing. "It's a lot like Besaid, peaceful and close. Braska thought it was the best place we went. "

"Is there a fayth there?" Yuna asked. "An aeon, I don't know about."

'No."

'Then why go? It'll take a days off our journey." Wakka said.

"It's important." Auron said. "We all need a good rest before the calm lands. It'll be our last opportunity to stop at an inn before Zanarkand. And, don't say you don't need a good rest, Wakka. I know you're exhausted."

"But we should hurry." Wakka defended. "Before more people get hurt by Sin."

"A day isn't going to matter." Lulu said. "Auron has done the journey before. He knows what's ahead more then we do."

"I don't think we should go." Wakka said. 'It's not tradition."

"Kinoc holding a gun wasn't either." Rikku said. 'And neither am I, being here."

"Well, you can go ahead. But I'm stopping." Auron said stepping through the small thicket into the path. "I'll catch up." He began walking toward the town. It would be a good hour, walking.

"Auron!" Yuna said following him. He stopped and turned to see her. "Why are you so strongly feeling this?"

"I have to be there, just once more." He said.

"Then we all must go." Yuna said putting her hand on Auron's forearm. She smiled at him, the exact same way that Braska had 10 years ago.

Auron looked back and saw Wakka helping Lulu through the bushes and then helping Rikku onto the path. Tidus was ahead of the group with Kimahri.

"Let's get to this inn. I could use a sleep in a real bed." Tidus said laughing. "But I want my own room." He nudged Auron as he walked by. Auron smiled and walked beside Tidus. The others followed.

Auron pushed the last of the vines out of the way and they opened like a veil. The small town came into clear view. Small houses, no road, but lots of soft grass. Lanterns hung from vines around the town. Ready to be lit for the evening. A waterfall could be heard in the back ground.

"Wow." Wakka said. "There is a town here."

"What's it called?" Rikku said.

" Trankuel." Auron said.

"How did my father find this place?" Yuna asked. "I mean, I can see now why he stayed a while but how did you happen upon it?"

"Well, I grew up here." Auron said. 'This is my home."

The group stopped walking and stared at Auron in awe. He had reveiled something very special to them. Just as he had to Braska.

A door to a small white house opened and a young man stepped out onto a porch. He had a long chestnut braid, Wore all black clothing, and chocobo feather danginling from an earing. He looked in there direction with intense violet eyes. He dropped the fire wood he carried. Mouth wide open.

"I think he knows you Auron." Tidus said smiling.

"UNCLE AURON!" the boy yelled. He jumped the porch railing and ran. He tripped over his feet and got back up again. He reached Auron and jumped on the older man. Auron fell back on the ground. His 18 year old nephew was straddling him.

"Holy Fuck you're alive!" he yelled hugging the man.

"Well, if I was before. I'm not now. "Auron said sitting up as soon as Duo got off of him. "I'm too old for pouncing on."

'What do you expect? You caught me last time!" the man defended.

"Yeah, and you were eight." Auron said getting up and dusting himself off.

"Trowa's gonna flip." Duo said laughing.

"Who's Trowa?" Yuna asked.

"Well." Auron said removing his eye glasses. "He's my son."

End of part one.


	2. Chapter 2

Unsent and Unseen

Part two

Gypsy: Sorry for the long pause in updating. Being in final year of college is really starting to take it's tole on me and my hair. It's turning gray! So, sorry about the little spur of the moment sabbatical. I swear, I will finish this fic.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Gundam Wing. I sure wish I did though. They both would be a lot dirtier and a lot more homosexual. (Saying "gayer" there sounded stupid.) I make no money or profits off of my fanfiction. I just get pure enjoyment and sometimes a cookie.

"Trowa's gonna flip." Duo said laughing.

"Who's Trowa?" Yuna asked.

"Well." Auron said removing his eye glasses. "He's my son."

"You're what?" Tidus asked. He couldn't believe this. His mentor, the man who had practically adopted him had done the same abandonment thing that Jecht had done all those years ago.

"My son. Actually, Trowa's about your age, Tidus." Auron said.

"These guys aren't very quick are they?" Duo asked slumping against the prayer post put into the center of town.

"You calling us stupid or something?" Wakka asked. "We're just surprised, ya know. We didn't know Sir Auron even had a family. Let alone a son."

"Are you Sir Auron now?" Duo asked. "They didn't tell us that."

"Tell you, who? What are you talking about?" Auron asked Duo.

"When you went to Zanarkand, and didn't come back. After we heard of Sin's defeat at the hands of Braska we knew he was dead. You didn't come home though. One day, men came from Bevelle. They brought some things to Leia in your honor." The sarcasm dripped off of Duo's tongue. "They made some big speech about sacrifice in the name of Spira. All a bunch of bull-shit if you ask me." Duo walked up to his uncle looking him square in the eye with a wisdom that you wouldn't predict from his goofing around and jokes. "But they never called you Sir Auron. Just Guardian to High Summoner Braska or Auron."

"When did you get so observant? Last time I saw you, you didn't know when your socks matched." Auron said softly. It was a slight challenge but one said with nostalgia.

"I knew they didn't match. I just didn't care." Duo said flipping his braid over one shoulder and walking toward the white house picking up wood as he went.

"Why is it different?" Auron asked.

'What's different?" Duo asked. "The village or us?"

"Both I guess."

"Can you guess? Sin came." Duo said softly picking up another stick. "It destroyed everything. We sent for help from Bevelle, but it never came. They left us to die on our own. They never even sent someone to check to the temple."

"There's a temple here?" Yuna asked. "I thought you said there is no fayth here."

"There isn't, it's empty." Auron said. "Just a shell left behind."

"It may be a shell but it's still important. I mean if you believe in this religion so much, Uncle. You should be just as mad as we are. We may not believe in it much, but this shell of a religion is all we got left here." Duo seemed awfully upset for not believing in it much.

"Duo. Where's Leia?" Auron asked. "She should be here by now."

"You don't want to know."

"Duo. Where's my wife?" The group stared again. Auron had a wife. A woman he had pledged his life too. And he obviously cared about her. You could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

"She's dead Auron. Almost all of your friends are."

"Your Aunt and Father?"

"Same day."

"The Sin Attack."

"Yes. It was my revelation that some time's Mondays are just bad." Duo turned inside the house. "Are you staying? Or walking another summoner to their death?" He closed the screen door but Auron knew he could still hear him.

"I'm doing what I can Duo." he said. "For you and for Yevon."

"You mean, what's left of it!" Duo yelled and Auron heard his footsteps move away hard and fast. Duo walked like his father. He walked like Auron did. Heavy, as if he carried the world on his shoulders.

Auron turned to the group and looked at them. Tidus and Yuna looked confused, Rikku; had this look of awe on her face as she observed Auron and the surroundings. Wakka; frankly still looked pissed that they were even there. But Lulu, she just looked at him. Without anything. She looked the same as always. Thank Yevon for small wonders, Auron always did like familiarity.

"Hey, where did Kimahri go?" Yuna asked. "He was right here a second ago."  
"Kimahri always looks for a water source before he does anything. He must be at the spring." Auron sighed and walked through the square toward it. He looked around at the town he had grown up in as a child. All the buildings were different but the smells and sounds were still the same. Auron passed by a young man stepping out of the large watch tower. He had blue eyes and wild hair. Auron knew it was Jay's boy. He could see it in the posture. But Heero said nothing. He just walked by Auron and others just staring with his hand on his sword. Heero entered Duo's house, but made no verbal sounds.

"This place is kinda creepy." Rikku said. "No wonder, you turned out so quiet."

"It didn't used to be this quiet." Auron said. "I don't know what happened."

"Sin can do that." Lulu said. "Sometimes, people and places never recover from attacks. It's sad but it does happen."

"Yeah, but what I don't understand is why you didn't tell us about this place. I mean, you could have said. By the way, I have a family, but I never see them and I want to. Were you just a coward all these years Auron? Is that why you were with me?" Tidus asked.

"I was with you because I made a promise."

"And what about your own promises to your own family. To your kid?" he asked.

"Promises to the dead, mean more then to the living." Auron said. "He'll understand. Trowa was always much more rational then Trowa. More then anyone I've ever known."

They turned the bend when they heard a shriek of a large bird.

"Valefor?" Yuna asked. "That sounds like an aeon. Where is it coming from?"

"Sounds like the river." Auron started but he never finished his thought as someone yelled "DUCK!" from in front of them. The group reacted and fell to the ground. A large whoosh of cold air hit there backs and lungs and as Auron looked up he saw a very large bird land in the middle of the road. It was not a Valefor. It was darker in coloring with icy blue underbelly. Its face was different and its beak was pointier. It also held the body of a coyote which it was currently munching down.

"Iago!" a voice rang out. A small bodied young man took a leap and stabbed his staff into the ground swinging on it one full rotation before landing on his feet. "Dismiss, now!" He spun his staff in full rotation until the aeon like bird dropped its meal, make a cooing sound and disappeared into thin air.

"Are you alright?" it asked from down the road. "I'm sorry if he frightened you." The figure came up to the group. Tidus was first on his feet and he helped Yuna up slowly. Auron felt the person smooth hand help him up. "I'm really sorry- Oh my god." Auron looked at him. He was small in height but not weak by any standards. He had blonde hair, skin so pale it rivaled Lulu's complexion and a set of blue eyes. "You're Sir Auron."

"Yes, and who might you be?" Auron took this time to adjust his sword and remove the road dust from his jacket.

"I'm Quatre."

Quatre was not dressed simply as Duo had been. In fact, he wore a summoner's robe of many colors only it was open to reveal the clothing underneath. This was something not usually done by orthodox summoners.

"You're not from here." Yuna said. "You have a summoner's staff. Unless, the temple is not a shell, you wouldn't have one."

"No, I'm from Bevelle originally." he said.

"Are you on pilgrimage too, ya?" Wakka asked.

"No." Quatre said. "Forgive me, Lady Yuna but I'm afraid I quit some time ago."

"Do you know me?" Yuna asked.

"Only of, not in any actual sense of the word. My Father was a master in the temples when your father was on his pilgrimage. I met him, he was a good man." Quatre said. "I met you too, Sir Auron."

"You're Maester Winner's son." he said. "How is your father dealing with your quitting?"

"He's dead." he said rather coldly. "Sorry you had to hear it from me. If you liked him you might have wanted to hear it from someone who actually cared."

"Quatre!" A voice called. "Where are you and that damn bird?" There was a whistle but different of the one Tidus had taught Yuna.

"Is that?" Auron asked. He had been adjusting his belt and dropped it on the ground. He also dropped his sword and his pack as he moved toward that voice. He heard Quatre whistle back.

"What is it?" the blonde asked Yuna.

"He's looking for his son." she said. "Do you know him?"

"Trowa?" Quatre asked.

"Yes." Yuna said earnestly.

"Know him? I'm sleeping with him." Quatre said, his smile turning wicked, lost in a memory. Everyone's faces paled at the thought of a former summoner in bed with another man. Except for Lulu who surprisingly smiled a grin more wicked then Quatre's. Quatre turned toward the street and Auron. A tall figure came up the drive and came into view.

The young man was tall with a head of thick brown hair swept over one eye. His pants were brown and tanned from something that looked like Cerberus suede. His shirt was a dark blue and opened at the neck and his upper body had on a half jacket to protect the right arm and chest with a black shelling. His left arm was bared to only a sleeve and some bracelets. A sword was sheathed at that side. He walked up the road looking at Quatre and then his vision switched and he stopped.

Trowa stared at the figure in the road. He knew him, knew that face, if just barely. He moved closer, keeping his eyes on him. It hit him like a ton of clay blocks in the chest. He felt his heart swell with his eyes. His vision changed over to Quatre who was standing there, smiling at him with all of heaven in his eyes. He looked over at the man again.

It was his Dad.

Trowa did something he hadn't done outside of bed for a long time. He smiled.

End of part 2


	3. Chapter 3

Unsent and Unseen

Part 3

By: Gypsy Tollamer

Author's Notes: Please remember to review. It helped me feel motivated to continue. Gundam Wing and Final Fantasy do not belong to me. I don't profit from these fics. If I did I wouldn't be poor right now.

Trowa smiled and looked up head at the top of the small rise in the road. His father was standing there, alive. Trowa took a small step forward and then stopped for a second. What was doing here now? If he had been alive since Braska's death, he should have come back sooner. He could've saved his mother. Trowa was alone because his father went on a vacation from them. But he couldn't help but be glad he was back. Auron had been his hero growing up. He had modeled his skills in everything after that man's.

Quatre looked at Trowa standing in the middle of the road. He had moved forward and then backward a few times but now was looking at Auron. Quatre had caught that small smile on Trowa's face before it snapped down into a look of confusion. Auron was almost doing the same stance as Trowa but wasn't so confused. He looked hurt. Quatre pushed past Auron and walked down the small slope. He could feel what felt like a hundred eyes burning into his back as he walked down to Trowa.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Trowa's face snapped up. Their eyes connected. Quatre grabbed Trowa's hand and noticed how cold it was. Trowa's hands were never cold.

"I don't know" Trowa said. "I.."

"Your father is the man at the top of the hill." Quatre began. Trowa looked away, he continued. "When I first met you almost every story you had for me had to do with your father. You said he was your hero. He's back, Trowa."

"Why now?" Trowa asked. "Wants to say goodbye, so if he does die, I'll think of him fondly?"

"You do think of him fondly." Quatre said tugging his chin up. "Now, stop being an ass and go up there. Now is not the time for indecision."

Trowa nodded and swallowed. He moved forward and stopped again. He paused; almost ready to flee from the time his heels hit the dirt again. Then he felt it, a strong smack on his rear.

Quatre's head reached from over his shoulder and whispered in his ear. '"Now." That hand massaged where he had been spanked.

Trowa sighed and moved forward. He looked down as he walked until he got close. Then he looked up. He could see his father had changed. He had a scar now that ran from his forehead, down one eye and down to the top of his cheekbone. He was older, he was scruffy looking and smelled slightly of alcohol.

"Hello." he said finding his voice.

Auron looked at his son. Tall, broad in the shoulders, slim in the hips. Auron could see that Trowa had his mother's eyes and mouth. And that unruly hair that was genetic in both Leia's and Auron's families.

"Hello." His son said. Auron could sense the nervousness in the vocal tone.

"Hello Trowa." Auron said softly. "You look well."

"You look… different." Trowa said.

"Things are different here, too." Auron said.

Trowa nodded and then stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You must be… tired. Walking all day again?" he asked.

"No, we started not long ago. This is a more stressful pilgrimage then the last one." Auron said.

"How can it be more stressful then that? I saw Braska during that, he looked like shit." Trowa said.

Yuna listened and heard about her father again. It was always hard, hearing about him. She had been smitten with her father as a child, but now he was human to her. She saw spheres with Tidus and heard stories from the people who no longer hid the hardships of pilgrimage from her.

"Let's just go." Trowa said walking toward the village again. Everyone followed but Yuna. She looked back behind her and saw Quatre walking down toward the sound of the water. She followed. Quatre moved gracefully like most summoners did. It was the all the training they had to go through in order to summon.

She followed him around the curve in the road and past the small river. Yuna heard a step behind her. She turned and saw Kimahri watching her. Always, her protector. Quatre continued and walked into a building. Yuna stopped. This building was a temple. A badly, damaged one at that. It was on a distinct tilt, the roof had a large hole in it, one corner of the building was completely missing. It would fall apart soon. She tried to open the door but found it was difficult to handle such a heavy door when it was at such an angle. The door frame held onto it. So she just walked through where the wall was missing.

"Why are you following me?" Quatre asked.

"I was wanting to see the temple. I was going to ask you to show me." she said. The truth was, that was a complete lie.

"Well, you're here now. "he said. "Going to pray? The fayth here is empty. No one will hear you."

"Yevon is always watching." she said.

"Yevon is a fantasy." Quatre said sticking his staff into the earth that was creeping through the tiled floor.

'How can you say that? You have aeons still. You were brought up in the church as much as I was. Yevon has to exist. We have to atone to have him forgive us." she said. Yuna felt the tears sting in her eyes. The temples had betrayed her, called her a traitor.

"If Yevon is so great, he wouldn't want children to suffer and good people to die, Yuna." She felt Quatre come closer to her as she shut her eyes in an effort to keep the tears at bay. "Summoners are not expendable and neither are guardians."

"I know that. I'm not stupid." she said harshly. Then she sighed. 'I'm sorry Quatre. I'm just tired."

"No you're not." he said. "You're just not ready to die."

"Neither are you, obviously." she said back bitterly. Who was he to chastise her, when he had quit.

"I'll never be ready to die. I'm too much of a fighter." he said. "Where is he from?"

"Who?" She asked.

"Tidus." he said.

"He never told you his name." she said softly. "How?"

"I read him." he said. 'He's not from here."

"No, he's Sir Jecht's son." she said.

"No, I meant from here as in Spira. He's got something on him. Something not from this world, I don't know what it is. It's not pyreflies, it's something else." Quatre walked back to his staff. "Come on, I'll lead you to the fayth."

She followed him down the corridors. They leaked water and smelled like summer rain. She noticed all the combination spheres were in place. Permanently keeping it open to others.

"Why is it open?" she asked.

"It's empty. And sometimes people like to see it. They want to see what summoners see. Particularly the children that are left in the village."

They walked into the place where the fayth are kept. The shell was very large. Yuna couldn't really make out the shape. The torches glowed with a silver flame.

"What fayth was this?" she asked. "It doesn't look like any of the others."

"It's alchemy, and metal." he said.

"That's not possible." she said.

"What, lady Yuna doesn't believe there is a machina aeon?" he said almost bitterly. "Too forbidden? People are not forbidden when they give themselves up to this!"

"Machina are forbidden, Quatre." she said. "It's in the texts. And how do you know? It's empty, we'll never see it."

"I have it." he said.

"Have it? The Aeon?" she asked. "Can I see it?"

"You'll just say it's forbidden. Like the others did. You know, I went back to Bevelle to show them. I wanted to bring the Al Bhed out of that hell of a desert, they live in. I wanted them to be accepted, but it didn't happen. They accused me, told me I had consorted with Sin, to bring an aeon that was full of forbidden magic. They hated me, almost killed me, killed one of my guardians. My own sister, Yuna. Iria's dead because of me and your God." Quatre was furious, tears in his eyes. "This Aeon has brought a plague on my house, I must lie in my own bed. I did not quit my pilgrimage. I ran for my life. I came back here because this is the only place I could go."

He turned to walk out. "Find your own way."

When Quatre got back up to the village he felt the tears running down his face. His staff carrying more weight then it should because he felt weak. Yuna knew. She knew about Gundam. And he hoped she wouldn't tell.

He moved up to the house he shared with Duo and Trowa. Trowa was in the living room with her guardians. He pushed through the room.

Duo was leaning against one of the walls, he listened to Auron speaking to Trowa as if he were stupid. Like he was still naïve child. Then the door opened and slammed. He saw Quatre. He was crying and looked pale. He moved through the living room. The other guardians stared as he moved past.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked.

Quatre just shook his head and moved up the stair case.

"I'll go." Duo said. "Listen to the story Trowa. Maybe it's the last time you'll hear it."

End of part 3


	4. Chapter 4

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter 4

Author's Notes: No excuses. I forgot my account info, and got busy with my own life. But I'm back in the fanfic world again and started writing again. This was the second fic I picked up because I WANT to finish it. Please review.

Final Fantasy and Gundam Wing are not the property of this author; if they were she would not be living in the crack den right now. Thanks.

* * *

Feet pounded the smooth marble of the Bevelle temple. The maze and the underground lair were only a few hundred yards away, if they could get to that then maybe they could get away from it.

"Heretics!" the masters' guards yell. Quatre could feel the bullets wiz by them and they ran.

"Don't look back. Just trust what your emotions are telling you." Heero said grabbing his hand.

"They're telling me to run like hell!" Wufei said. "Come on!" Wufei said casting a fira and ducking a bullet ricocheted off the wall next to him.

"I can't…Iria. We left her." Quatre said starting to slow down.

"No!" Heero said gripping his hand tighter. "I'm not losing you to them!"

He could see the door to the maze, the door to the trials, Wufei threw a sphere and the door opened. Quatre felt a rush of cool air hit his face-

* * *

"Quatre? What the hell is wrong with you?" Duo said. "Did they say something to you, because I'll kill them!"

Quatre jumped as the door slammed up against the wall. Tact was not Duo's strength.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, and I'm a Blitz ball champion." He said closing the door. "I haven't seen you cry since you decided to stay here."

"I just got thinking about Iria. You know how it gets to me. They probably didn't even give a proper sending. It just makes me mad and when I get mad I can't stop them!" he said throwing off his summoner's robe.

"Well, try- you look like a wuss."

"She wants to see the aeon, Duo." Quatre said.

"You told her about it? She could go back to Bevelle and tell 'em! Get you all killed!"

"I hope she won't. Something tells me that she won't. Afterall, there's an Al Bhed in her party." He said looking out the window. "Maybe Heero could talk to her, see if they're trust worthy?"

"Yeah, Heero doesn't trust anybody and that's what's kept you alive this long." Duo said joining him.

"So, cynical. You know, Trowa told me you once used to be a happy child."

"That was when I had parents and I thought Sin was just a scary story they told kids to make them eat their vedgetables." Duo said.

"If only---" A large engine squealed outside and the sound of a gun went off followed by the growl of a feind.

"Oh hell." Quatre said walking downstairs with his staff. "What now?"

* * *

"So you guys aren't popular with the maesters either?" Trowa asked.

'You're putting it lightly." Tidus said.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here. When Bevelle refused to help us after the Sin attack we pretty much separated ourselves from the order. We take in all who seek shelter under the promise that they will attack no citizen of the town."

"Sounds good to us!" Rikku said.

"If only all places were like this." Lulu said.

The sound of brakes outside caught Wakka's attention, who was standing by the window.

"What is going on, out there?"

The growl and the gun fire answered his question. Quatre and Duo descended from upstairs, Quatre minus his robe and Duo carrying a large gun and a large sword. "Lock and load Tro, we got trouble!" He threw Trowa the gun.

The three boys went out into the street.

"We just going to watch or what??!," Rikku asked grabbing a grenade and running outside.

Auron went to the open door where a cluster of fiends had entered the town square. Chasing them down in an old Al Bhed vehicle were two boys shooting a gun. The jeep stopped when the fiends were cornered between Quatre, Trowa, Duo and the Jeep. Rikku stood a few feet away.

"Hey, bakka. I brought you a present. Think you can handle it?" one boy asked dressed in full Al Bhed gear.

"You keep playing with your toys, Heero and let us do the real work!" Duo said.

Duo's gun fired, Trowa lunged, a grenade was thrown and Rikku covered her eyes as a large flash happened and the smell of burnt flesh and smoke filled her nose.

The field was clear… Rikku looked up as Quatre was passing her back into the house.

He stopped and smiled at her.

"Thanks for the backup. But it wasn't necessary."


	5. Chapter 5

Unsent and Unseen- Chapter 5

Author's notes:

I'm working this jumping timeline in this thing. You'll slowly get the pieces of Quatre's journey through flashbacks. If it is AT ALL confusing, let me know and I'll work on the config a little. It makes sense to me but I'm the one pulling the puppet strings. Please R&R!

Al Bhed will appear in italics. The English translation beside it

Example: _"E cibbund kyo Synneyka"_ I support gay marriage

Get it? Great! Moving on!

PS- Bless the geeks that made Al Bhed translation websites. If you are one, I might sleep with you for making my life easier. If you live in Hong Kong.

* * *

Heero knew as soon as closed his eyes to the flash grenade that the fiends were dead. The smoke was filling the village square and the twinkling of pyreflies was peeping through the smoke. A breeze blew through the trees and the smoke was clearing, Blonde hair was the first to peek through and Heero saw it walking back up toward the porch and the Barton house.

Where was he off to so quickly? He could see the shape of a body on the porch, female, but he couldn't see who it was. Duo came closer. Heero smiled as he felt Duo's arms around his neck.

"_Yna oui ymnekrd?"_ he asked. Are you alright?

"I'm fine, Heero. But some shit went down while you and Fei were off playing in the woods together." Duo said.

"What kind of shit?" Wufei asked from his perch inside the jeep. "Did royal guards come?"

"No. But a summoner did." Trowa said inspected the fiends on the ground. "We're going to need to start a fire soon. Or more are going to come."

"Wait!" Heero asked pulling off his goggles. Duo stepped back and folded his arms. "There's a summoner here? With her party? You have to get rid of them Trowa!"

"I can't exactly do that…" Trowa said.

"You should be more concerned with Quatre's safety than anybody!" Heero said. "You know what will happen to us, to him if we're taken back to Besaid!"

"My father's with them!" He yelled. "Auron is a member of the village. He brought them here for sanctuary. We cannot ask them to leave."

"Your father was one of Braska's guardians." Wufei said quietly. "If he's alive then he saw…"

"_Vilg,"_ Heero ran his fingers through his hair. _"E ryja du kad cusa yen" _Fuck, I have to get some air.

"You're already outside!!" Duo yelled as Heero walked back up toward the river. "Now, look what you did!" He turned and walked to his own hut slamming the rickety wood door.

"The fiends will keep for an hour. I want to meet your father." Wufei said.

Trowa nodded from where he was gathering wood, stood and went with Wufei inside the house. Rikku hurried in after them. This place was great for gossip!

* * *

Auron, Wakka and Lulu had watched the battle from the window.

"They were fast; as fast as us." Lulu said.

"No one's as fast as us." Tidus said sitting on the kitchen counter.

"You didn't even watch 'em!" Wakka said. "How'd you know?"

"I just know we're the best! After all, Auron and I are the fastest swords men; Wakka can throw a mean ball and Lulu's the best mage I've ever seen!" the blonde said in the cocky way that made Auron want to punch his lights out.

"He must not have seen much." Wufei said coming in.

"Well, he certainly didn't go to academy." Lulu said. "How are you Wufei?"

"You know him?" Wakka asked Lulu, Trowa could detect jealousy perhaps in his voice.

"We were apprentices together that year I studied magic in Luca at the academy. Wufei was one of the students there for a while. He left for his pilgrimage half way through my stay there." She said.

"And how's yours going?" he asked.

"Better than yours I suppose." She replied flatly.

Wufei laughed and Wakka's eyes narrowed. 'Who the fuck is this guy' he thought. 'That was not a funny joke. Lulu is not a funny person.'

Rikku smiled as she watched Wakka fume as Wufei was introduced to Sir Auron by Trowa. This day was getting better by the second!

* * *

"_Cdibet Cissuhanc yht draen cdibet bemknesykac. Cdibet, eteudel namekeuh! E ryja y knayd etay, ruf ypuid fa tnacc ib cusa getc keja dras cusa cdelgc yht cruja dras yd ceh! Uhla ra'c hu muhkan rihkno, ra'mm dyga y dah oayn hyb yht fa'mm zicd tu ed ymm ujan ykyeh! Vyclecdc-!"_ Heero was raving mad as he walked over the rocky terrain toward the river. To be honest, he didn't even know what he was going to do once he got there, but it was his plan and he was going to do it! (Stupid Summoners and their stupid pilgrimages. Stupid, idiotic religion! I have a great idea; how about we dress up some kids give them some sticks and shove them at sin! Once he's no longer hungry, he'll just take a ten-year nap and we'll just do it all over again! Fascists-!)

He was so absorbed in his rant and not falling over the rocks, he didn't even look up and see the girl until he slammed into her. They both hit the dirt and proceeded to roll down into the riverbed. She let out a squawk as she hit the cold water.

"Sorry, sorry." He said. "Are you hurt?"

"No, just wet…" she said standing up. That's when Heero realized what he had run into. The new summoner, she was beautiful as most summoners were. He took her hand and helped her out of the water.

"Sorry I didn't see you." He said. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Neither was I. I was thinking about my own worries, when the important thing was the worry about the problem of getting back to the village. Which to be honest, I don't really know where it is." She said softly laughing.

"Up and down the hill, Take a left at the fork." He said looking down. He was unsure whether this summoner was okay with the Al Bhed or not.

"I'm Yuna. Your name?" she asked.

"Heero, Lady Yuna." He said.

"Are you a guardian to Lord Quatre?" she asked.

Heero paused at the question, trying to feel out any darkness in her. Anything evil, but all he saw was a wet girl; a wet girl that to be honest looked very much like Quatre had a year a go.

"I am, my lady." He said.

"Then may I ask you a question about the aeon Lord Quatre found here?"

Heero paused. She knew about it. But how? Had Quatre shown her? Did he trust her? Was she a spy?

"Depends on the question." He said. "You may ask as I walk you home. It is almost dark and it is not safe here once the sun sets."

They walked. "Being that you're of the Al Bhed fayth and the aeon is machina. How do you think such a miracle happened?" she asked.

Heero stopped walking and looked at her.

"You think it's a miracle?" he asked. "Not something forbidden?"

"I think that Yevon created something to bring our two sides together. He would be unwise to create something that would only bring discourse within the religion. Yevon only wants peace for all people. I think the Al Bhed are an important part of the people of Spira." She said not looking at Heero as she spoke.

"I think you are very wise Lady Yuna." Heero said. "If what you say is what you really mean."

"Heero, you should trust more and not be so quick to think everyone will betray you."

"I will try." He said. They walked, the sun sunk lower and Heero could see the smoke rising from where someone was burning the fiends from earlier.

* * *

"I cannot believe we're lost! Damn it, Wufei you're supposed to be on navigation!" Iria said. "I'm not going to be mothering you three boys all the way to Zanarkand!"

Wufei handed her the map he was holding and sighed. "I think I see a blip on the map about a click north east. From there we can have someone point us in the direction of the calm lands."

"Sounds good to me." Quatre said standing up from where he was sitting on the ground.

"You tired Quatre?" Heero said in his accented English.

"Always, but it hasn't stopped me before. If Wufei ever finds the village we can stop there!"

"Yeah, I know…. I suck!" Iria cut through the tree limbs with her machete and the four made it through the small, narrow path. An hour later they made it upon a stream and something that made Quatre's blood turn cold. A temple of Yevon, half destroyed by Sin and blood in the river.

"Quatre don't look." Iria said.

"I've seen worse." He said. They walked up a small hill that was very rocky and past a few bodies that were not buried.

"Is everyone dead here?" Wufei asked. They found a path and followed some smoke to the left. There in a small town square, everything was destroyed and the devastation was huge.

"Hello!" Iria called out. A small cat scared by the noise ran out from behind a small box between Heero and Quatre. The trees rustled and Iria drew her sword. A girl stepped out with blonde hair and soot across her face.

"Oh thank Yevon. They sent some one." She said.

Quatre looked at Heero a little confused and Heero tapped his staff.

'Oh' he thought. 'He thinks the temple sent me'

They followed the blonde girl through the trees and saw 20 people standing, digging, and praying as they were trying to bury the rest of the village.

A boy dressed in black with a long braid came over shovel in hand.

"Lord Summoner, thank you for coming. We don't have them all yet. There's too many…" He stopped; Quatre could tell he was about to break.

"It's alright. My guardians and I will help you. When did the Sin attack happen?"

"A week ago. We've been asking for assistance but no one's been able to come." He said.

"Do you know how many?" Heero asked. "How many we still need to find for you?"

"We're missing thirty five villagers." Duo said. "But we're mainly running out of room to bury them." He ran his hands through his bangs.

"Who is the head of the village?" Iria asked.

"I guess I just inherited the seat. My name's Duo, second council is my cousin Trowa. It's an honor to meet you Lord Summoner." Duo said. "Forgive me for not seeming more pleased."

"It's quite alright, I'm sure we'll be on good terms before I leave." Quatre said shaking Duo's hand. Eyes met. A shiver ran down Quatre's spine. It just felt right to be here. Death in the air, sweat on the brow, tears on the cheeks. They buried their dead and sent their souls to the farplane. And this was the day that Quatre met Trowa.


	6. Chapter 6

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter 6

* * *

It was late in the day and Quatre could feel the sweat trickling down his neck underneath his robe as he swept the small pieces of marble and dust out of the temple and onto the grass outside. 'Just a little while longer, then I'll go back.'

"You really don't have to do that." Trowa said startling him. "The people that are left, they're fayth is gone for the most part. They feel the temple is cursed because the maester died in here."

"Either someone comes to pray or not. A temple should not be left sullied." Quatre paused and looked at Trowa. "Do you still believe?"

Trowa avoided the stare and looked down. "Let me help you then. You shouldn't work so hard if you're going to be leaving for the Calm Lands soon." Trowa moved to lift a pedestal back up on its end. Quatre bent to clean around it. There was only the sound of the broom as Trowa lifted the heavier objects. "Are you frightened, Quatre?"

"Of what?" he asked standing and looking at Trowa in the eye. The work stopped as the two spoke.

"Of dying," he said meeting his gaze. Quatre could feel the energy shifting in the room.

"No. I know my death will mean that people like you, Trowa, will no longer have to suffer. No longer have to lose their families to Sin." He said. "It's my destiny to save them, and I will not be afraid to go as those have before me."

"But those you leave behind? Have you thought about them?" Trowa asked softly.

"My father will be sad but I know he will be proud. And Iria will be brave for me, she knew what she was getting into when she chose to be my guardian." Quatre had felt something pulling him to Trowa since he had arrived in the village. He had felt a similar pull with Heero before he chose him to be his guardian, was Trowa what Yevon was telling him to do?

"The fayth here has been empty for over a hundred years. I know you still come to pray, still. What do you pray for?"

"Strength, courage and the wisdom to make the right decisions for all and not just myself." He paused and spoke again. "Trowa, you said that the people don't believe anymore since the attack. Do you believe?"

"I have to. If there is no Yevon and my family was just taken from me, then I wouldn't know what to do. But if Yevon and Sin chose for me to be the only one left, then it must be for a reason. To teach me a lesson, to help me grow, " Trowa almost said the next line in a whisper. "Or maybe to have me meet someone. It can't be random, it must be destiny."

"Yes." Quatre said. "If only all in Spira were as wise as you, I feel we would have no Sin."

"When you go to the fayth, will you pray for me?" Trowa asked.

Quatre nodded, and noticed that he and Trowa were standing only inches apart. There voices were so soft they were whispers. He then felt it in his heart, a flutter that had never been there before. He grabbed Trowa's shirt collar and kissed him. He felt Trowa's lips stiffen beneath his and then…. a spark!

Hair tussled,

Clothing ripped.

A Sacred Robe thrown to the floor in a flutter.

Groans of Passion.

Blurs of Skin and Sweat.

Deities' names taken in vain.

A place of worship, and a sacred virgin stained and made un-pure.

And upon the completion of the act and the swearing of it's lord under the act. The fayth woke up from its rest and smiled.

* * *

Yuna and Heero walked into the house and what ever conversation that had been happening, stopped as the two entered the door.

"Yuna where have you been? We've been worried!" Lulu said.

"I was at the temple. Looks like more happened here though." She said taking a seat on a small stool where she could easily look at Tidus.

"Understatement…" Tidus said leaning back on his hands. "So why the fire with the fiends?"

"We have to burn the flesh or more come," Heero said. "Is that where Wufei and Duo went?"

"Wufei and Trowa, yes. I don't know where Duo went." Auron said.

"His place. Do you need anything?" He asked walking back to the door.

"We're fine. Thank you." Lulu said quickly.

Heero exited, and the party fell silent.

"Ah! I'm starving! You could have asked when dinner was going to be!" Tidus said grabbing his stomach.

"Not that I'm not happy to see Wufei, but what are we doing here Auron?" Lulu asked. "I wouldn't call this place, exactly relaxing!"

"Yeah, I would call it VERY confusing. What are there girls around so the boys have to go around kissing each other?" Wakka asked crossing his arms.

"That's my son you're talking about!" Auron growled defensively.

"Just saying, I haven't seen a girl yet!" Wakka said defensively. "Don't get all mad. I didn't mean nothing by it."

"I'll bet you didn't." Auron grabbed his sword and exited the small home.

"Wakka, how many times have I told you that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble!" Lulu snapped.

"But it's against the teachings, Lulu. You know that, we all do! Except for Tidus and Rikku, maybe." He said. "I cannot help my feelings from the way I was raised, no? Don't blame me for saying what you know Yevon teaches!"

"Just because you feel it does not mean you must speak it, Wakka." Yuna said standing. "Yevon teaches love and tolerance and I would hope that since the incident in Bevelle you would realize that tolerance and love are most important now in this time."

"Thank you Lady Summoner, you don't have to defend us but you have my thanks," said a voice from the top of the staircase. The stairs creaked and Quatre came downstairs. "Now, I believe I heard that one say he was starving?" he asked pointing to Tidus.

"Tidus is always hungry," Rikku said. "It's nothing new."

"Well, let's see what we can do about that." He said and he walked into the kitchen area of the home.

"Well- I" Wakka started.

"Say another word and I'll sock you." Lulu said crunching down on his foot with her boot as she walked by him. Wakka grimaced but didn't say anything.

* * *

As Quatre made dinner for the party that had arrived, Heero walked next door to Duo's small house. He pulled back the blanket that served as Duo's front door and walked in. Glass beads hung in strands over the windows and created colored patterns across the room. Heero looked across the room that was cast in candlelight.

"Hiding?" he asked.

"Something like that." Duo asked from his position on a small bed made of pillows and blankets.

"I trust the summoner and Wufei knows the mage from the group. I am not so sure about the redhead but if Wufei is willing to vouch I will let them stay," Heero said leaning up against the wall.

"Is that all you came in here to say?" he asked.

"I came in here to see if you were alright…"

"I'm fine." Duo said.

"Bullshit." Heero said sitting on Duo's bed with him.

"Am I so transparent?" Duo asked. "I'm worried, they're going to get us killed."

"Not every newcomer to the village is going to bring trouble with them." Heero said. "You need to stop worrying."

"You're lot sure brought trouble. Forgive me for thinking another summoner would bring the same thing!" Duo said.

"We were different." Heero said. "Quatre had committed a crime in the high court's eyes."

"Yeah, but you weren't here when they were describing what had happened on their pilgrimage. They're on the run, Heero. The temple wants to kill 'em off like they did with Quatre."

Heero stiffened. He had just relaxed all but thirty minutes ago. For the past year all he had worried about was protecting Quatre and keeping him alive. Now, he had encountered a group of people in their same situation. On the run from the house of God that was supposed to protect them all.

"They have to go." Heero said.

"I know." Duo said nodding. "But Trowa won't want it. He'll fight us on this."

"When is Relena getting back? She'll be able to convince Wufei and then we'll out number him." Heero said standing up.

"What do you mean?" Duo asked.

"Quatre won't want to make them leave. Quatre likes Yuna, I can tell. He'll want to keep her here to protect her," he said.

* * *

"Where are going to next on your pilgrimage, Lady Yuna?" Quatre asked handing Yuna a plate.

"Calm Lands and up Gagazet. Did you go that far?" she asked.

"No," he said handing a plate to Wufei. "We stopped here. But you'll need all the energy you can get for the Calm Lands. There are a lot of fiends there." Quatre handed a plate to Auron, "But I'm sure Sir Auron will be an excellent guide for it."

"The Calm Lands are the most tiring part of the trip." Auron said. "A lot of Ochus and poison fiends."

"We have a group there now, hunting." Trowa said grabbing a drink out of the pot on the fire.

"Hunting?" Wakka asked.

"The village has got to eat. We send a party out once a month and they come back with enough food for everyone." Trowa said.

"Is that why we haven't seen many people? They're all on the hunt?" Wakka asked.

"There are not a lot of people here." Wufei said. "And some do not wish to meet you. They're afraid of visitors."

"Why?" Rikku asked taking a bite.

"Our last visitor wasn't kind to us." Wufei said flatly. "Don't ask anymore."

"Oh." Rikku said.

"Is that when your mother died?" Auron asked Trowa.

"No." Trowa said not able to meet Auron's gaze.

"When, then?" Auron asked.

Trowa smiled at Quatre. "I'm going to go upstairs. Thanks for dinner." The tall brunette then stood and left the room going up the stairs.

"I guess on that note, we should find you all places to sleep!" Quatre said. He left the house and walked down toward Duo's house to talk sleeping arrangements with his best friend. As he got closer he could hear both Heero and Duo's voices inside Duo's small home. Maybe, he'd have to come by another time.

"I'm not calling Quatre naive! Don't twist my words Duo!" Heero yelled. His voice could be heard from where Quatre was standing outside the door.

"You were beginning to trust them too! And Wufei knows one of them. Maybe we don't have to do it, Heero! It seems extreme." Duo said.

"I know it does, but they know where we are and that Quatre has the Gundam Aeon."

Quatre pushed through the door to Duo's house without knocking.

"What the hell are you two arguing about?!"

"Um…." Duo said grabbing at the end of his braid and twitching.

"It's about the new group." Heero said.

"I assumed." Quatre said. "Go on, because although Duo is head of the village. You do remember Heero that I am HEAD of our party?"

"They need to go! Tomorrow!" Duo said. "They're dangerous. They could get us killed."

"What?" Quatre asked. "Would you have turned me away a year ago? No, we should do the same for others. Show kindness."

"Screw kindness, Quat! They have Bevelle after them! If they bring them here- it's going to be like last fall all over again! Like with Hilde and the children!" Duo said welling up. "There are so few of my people left and I will not see them slaughtered because we let fugitives stay here!"

"Fugitives?" Quatre asked. "Heero is this how you feel?"

"Iria told me if anything ever happened to her, I was supposed to protect you. I think these people could be dangerous." He said.

Quatre stared; he felt sick and sad as he looked at his friends.

"They need places to sleep. Figure it out." He said turning and starting out the door.

"Where are you going? It's dangerous at night!" Heero said.

"If they're as dangerous as you think they are. Then I'm safer out there." Quatre said walking out toward the river and the temple.

* * *

Fear is a surprising thing. It causes so many fights, wars and deaths. People are afraid what they do not understand and Quatre at that moment understood nothing. He walked slowly- fuzzy headed with disgust and analysis. Before he knew it he was at the temple. Despite being a heretic in the eyes of the church, Quatre felt he was at home within the walls of this broken temple. He felt a connection with it and perhaps that was why the fayth had appeared to him last year.

He stepped in and sat down leaning against a wall.

* * *

Titus stepped into the room that Wufei had shown him and sat down leaning against the wall. He only had to wait until Yuna showed up. As he sat there he removed his armor and his shoes. He rotated his shoulder back and felt a small click in his upper back. The wall and small mattress on the floor were more comfortable then the wood floors Titus had gotten us to sleeping on- he was pleased to have blankets and water. He closed his eyes for what felt like five minutes and awoke to find Yuna in the room sitting in front of him staring at him.

"Are you tired?" she asked.

"What do you think?" he asked smirking.

"I don't know what I think, anymore. About Auron, about Yevon, about my pilgrimage… Tidus when we left Besaid I was so sure of who I was, about what my destiny was- but now…. I'm not sure what I'm fighting for." She said. Yuna's voice sounded soft, sad and as if she was on the cusp of breaking at any second.

"Hey," Tidus wrapped his armor free arm around her delicate shoulder. "You haven't changed who you are… You're still the girl that I-" He stopped speaking when she turned to face him.

"You don't have to say it-," she said.

"I'm going to protect you Yuna, from everything that comes our way." Tidus said.

She leaned in and Tidus felt the gentle brush of her lips against his. She was still so unsure, still so young. He felt her tremble beneath his hands.

"Don't be scared." He said. "I'm here, I won't ever leave you."

His hands then pushed aside her robe and Yuna reached for the lamp at the bedside table and snuffed out the gentle candlelight.

End Part 6


	7. Chapter 7

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter 7

* * *

"They have to go, Duo! Now!" Solo said dipping the bucket into the well. "You may have been voted head council- but I'm still older than you and I say they have to go!"

"But they'll be killed!" Duo said. "And without Lord Quatre's help, we would have had no summoner."

"They're fugitives! News is from Treize that they killed someone in the royal temple! Do we really need someone like that around here?" he asked. Solo tried to lift the bucket but dropped it. The water splashed to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Duo asked. "You should really rest."

"I'm fine. Just the toxin- you know?" Solo said sitting down against the well. "It's makes things go fuzzy."

"So does not sleeping." Duo said. "I know, you think you can do everything- but you can't!"

"People need the church more when they're at their weakest, Duo. Remember that…" Solo said. "Yevon has his reason for doing these things- I just have to be strong and help the people through it."

"I won't make them leave, Solo." Duo said. "Not yet. We need them."

"That Al Bhed could be trouble. I don't trust him."

"Heero?" Duo asked, "He's fine. If a Summoner has him as a guardian, then I trust him."

"And that's where your greatest fault lies, bro. You're too trusting." Solo took a deep breath. "Help me up."

Duo pulled his brother up to a standing position.

"I'm going to go pray for the strength to do better and for you to wizen up." Solo said.

"Want me to come with you?" Duo asked.

"No. Keep an eye on the town. That's your job now! I watch their souls and you watch their lives!" Solo said walking slowly toward the river. Had Duo known this was going to be last time he saw his brother alive. He would have told him he loved him or gone with him. But you never know these things, so Duo collected water from the well and went to work.

* * *

The next morning Quatre awoke on the floor of the temple, the sun was harsh in his eyes. He could hear the birds and his back was regretting this decision to sleep out here- already! He heard footsteps and sat up.

Sir Auron came into view. Quatre watched as he took a walk around the broken structure and caught Quatre in the corner of his good eye.

"Do you always sleep in the temple?" he asked.

"No. And I'm already wished I hadn't." Quatre said standing up and stretching his back. A pop could be heard from where Auron was standing.

"Any reason for this change of venue then?" he asked. "My son and you weren't fighting?"

"No, I had a disagreement with Duo." Quatre said. "I was making a point."

"It's hard to believe that silly boy is now the head of the town. He was never serious about anything as a child, very flighty. I guess things change." Auron said.

"That they do." Quatre said. "Do you have a reason for being out here, sir?"

"Remembering…" Auron said. "I grew up here. I married my wife here. I remember the day that Trowa was born. It seems like a lifetime ago. Everything is different. Their used to be so much life here, so many children…"

Quatre nodded and winced.

"What?" Auron asked.

"It's nothing I should talk about." Quatre said gathering his things and stepping out of the temple toward the river.

"Quatre, where is everybody? Surely the Sin Attack didn't kill everyone." The older man asked stepping in front of the blonde.

"You're right about that, but like I said. I can't talk about it."

"My wife, how did she die? Trowa didn't want to talk about it last night." Auron said grabbing his arm.

"In the attack. It was not a pretty one, I'm sorry. Trowa doesn't like to talk about the attack. Between your wife and Catherine-" Quatre said.

"Catherine?" Auron said. 'Was that Trowa's girlfriend?"

"No- Sir Auron… I don't want to be one telling you these things. It's not my place." Quatre said trying to push past him.

"Tell me!"

"When you visited Trowa ten years ago, he was eight. From your visit, your wife became pregnant with a second child. She had a daughter and that was Trowa's sister. She and Trowa were very close."

"And she died in the attack?" Auron asked.

"No." Quatre said looking him in the eye. "But she hasn't been the same, since."

"What do you mean, the same?"

"She hallucinates, she's frightened easily. Most of the time she stays with a woman named Noin at the end of the street because she's the only person who can keep her calm. She was seriously affected by the toxin along with several others in the village." Quatre said.

Auron turned and started walking toward the village. Quatre ran to catch up with him.

"Don't you dare make a scene, Sir or I swear-" Sir Auron glared at him and Quatre shut up.

* * *

Auron saw Trowa standing by the fire in the middle of the circle talking with a man with long white hair. He stormed over to him and gave him and solid shove in the shoulder.

"You have a sister!?! You didn't think I needed to know about her?" Auron yelled.

Trowa's eyes widened beneath his bangs; he still said nothing.

"She's my child, Trowa! I have a right to know about her!"

"Yeah, well maybe you should have come back after your battle with Sin so we could known you were alive!!!" Trowa snapped back.

"I couldn't." Auron said lowering his voice.

"You didn't want to." Trowa said. "Mom and I took care each other long after you left! I take care of Cathy now- you don't get to!"

Quatre looked behind him and saw that a lot of the villagers were peeking out of their windows from behind their curtains to watch and that Auron's party had come out onto the porch of Trowa's house. Duo and Heero had also come out.

"Maybe you should take this somewhere private?" Zechs said from beside Trowa.

"Oh Shut Up!" Auron and Trowa together.

"You left us, Auron. You didn't come back. Mom thought you were dead- so forgive me for moving on without you!" Trowa said.

"I'm still your father!"

"No, you're not! You gave up that when you went off with Braska!"

Suddenly a large thunder ball went into the air from off in the woods.

"The party's back." Zechs said.

Trowa stormed off going to his house and pushing past Wakka into it.

Auron turned and looked at Quatre.

"Can you talk to him for me?" Auron asked.

"No." Quatre said walking away from Auron to where Duo, Heero and Wufei were standing. "Enjoy the show?"

"Yeah! Who knew tall, dark and silent could yell like that?" Duo said.

"Sir Auron did deserve it but I can't help but feel bad for him." Wufei said. "I mean; he just wants to see Catherine."

"He hasn't been here in ten years and just wants to see her? Please- he's lucky Trowa didn't punch him." Heero said.

"So, are you excited Fei?" Duo said nudging Wufei with his shoulder.

"Ugh." Wufei, 'Whatever for?"

"Your lady's coming home tonight!" Duo said. "From the look of the Thunder spell, I'd say within the next hour."

"I'm very happy to have her home, yes. But that's all you'll get out of me, Maxwell." Wufei said.

"Very nicely done, Wufei." Quatre said.

"Why thank you Quatre, I learned my manners from you." Wufei said shaking hands with him and laughing. Duo frowned at both of them.

"You two are soooo ruining my fun." Duo said.

"And what watching a family battle in the town square is fun for you?" Heero asked.

"Yes." Duo said. "This place was starting to get boring again. Come on guys, wake everyone up! We've got a set up to do! Party's back!"

* * *

Rikku watched as the town came to life before her eyes. People came out of their houses that she hadn't seen yet. Women, Older men and Women, this really cute guy with long blonde hair. She watched as they bustled around the town square the fire came to a roar with extra wood and a fire spell from Wufei. A large rack was set up by an older man with a white beard and a girl with blonde braid and a table was brought out and had as many clean dishes and pots on it as people could spare.

There was a rustling heard soon in the bushes, in the area where Auron had brought them through. Rikku heard a voice yell something and some laughter. The town got very quiet and the people gathered by the fire. Some had water jugs ready. Rikku could not understand why the others had gone back inside and were not watching this- it was fascinating to watch!

A person came out of the trees. A tall man with red hair and a well-worn Crusader's jacket. The town cheered and Rikku joined in. A girl emerged with blonde hair helping him carry what had to be one of the largest dingos she had ever seen. Six more people came out of the forest. Two more carrying the weight of a large bird and the other two carrying sacks of rice and beans. The girl and guy had the dingo taken off of them and she saw Wufei run over to the blonde and sweep her into his arms. Their faces were lit up, they looked at no others as they kissed and melted into each other.

That's when Rikku noticed Lulu standing beside her watching and actually looking paler than normal.

* * *

"You're leaving?" Lulu asked from Wufei's doorway in Luca.

"Yes, I was just told I need to be in Besaid in three days." Wufei said. "I'm going to be a mage for a Summoner."

"Were you going to tell me?" she asked.

"Of course I was." Wufei said setting down his bag. "It's just, I only have eight hours before my boat leaves. I was packing- supplies."

"Sure… I get it" Lulu said coldly. "I'll let you get back to it, then"

"Wait!" he said grabbing her arm. "What the hell, Lu? We always were going to be Summoners mages, why are you mad at me for just going with the plan?"

"You weren't supposed to leave yet." She said softly.

"I know it's soon." He said. "But I've been called. I can't ask them to wait!"

"Sin just came back, Wufei. Just last week. This Quatre guy, he's only sixteen- he won't do it! He won't be able to-" Lulu yelled.

"Stop it!" Wufei said. "You might not believe in him, but you have to believe in me!"

"You'll be killed. I don't want you to die." Lulu said.

"Lu…" Wufei said. "Death is part of the cycle. We cannot fear it. I'm a warrior, I have to fight."

"I wish I could come with you…"

"You're training to go with Yuna, are you not?" Wufei said.

Lulu nodded.

"We'll see each other again, I know we will and when we do. I know I will love you as much as I do now." Wufei said.

"Promise?" Lulu asked.

"Promise…" Wufei said. He kissed her and when he pulled away he said smiling. "You look good in black, you should wear it more often…"

* * *

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter Eight

* * *

Author's Note: I'm finding the interweaving of the background story to be much more inspiring to me than the "Village Arc". I know the village is probably interesting to some of you, but I'm just stating an author feeling here. Please let me know if you you feel I'm going WAY too far on what I call the Pilgrimage Arc, and not enough of the Village Arc. Both work together in order to tell the story but in the way that LOST is written, the back stories o the characters are better than the actual present day plots.

Please let a girl know if you like it with a review!

* * *

Hundreds of people were gathered in the grand hall of the temple of Bevelle. Sitting in the pews of the temple as Maester Seymour stood at the pulpit leading everyone in the song of the fayth. Sin had returned that morning and attacked Besaid Island. The Death toll had not been counted yet. Quatre sat on the end of the pew next to his sister. He could see his father at the front of the temple with the other Maesters trying to look brave and solemn.

"We knew this day would come." Maester Seymour said. "When Lord Braska defeated Sin ten years ago, he gave us peace and now one of the new summoners will bring peace to Spira again- but it is not without sacrifice. Let us pray for the wisdom and strength to atone and become better than we were…"

Quatre stopped listening. The death that had happened this morning in Besaid, Quatre was disturbed that none of the Maesters not even his father seemed sorry or angry that Sin was back. Quatre turned his head and saw Dorothy whispering into her brother Baralai's ear further down the pew. He felt Iria tap his shoulder.

"Pay attention or Father will yet at you again." Iria said.

"Sorry."

"She's very pretty," she said.

"Who's not paying attention, now?" Quatre asked smiling.

"You were the one who was staring, little brother…"

"She's my friend, Iria. Nothing more." He said. Quatre leaned back and listening to the Ronso Maester make a speech about bravery. He could hear the fayth singing down from the chamber below. It was soft and calming to him…

"Quatre…" a voice whispered.

"What?" he asked turning to Iria.

"I didn't say anything," she said. "Are you okay?"

He sat very still and heard his name be called once, twice…. Softly as if by a very small child. Quatre stood up and walked out the back of the temple, he didn't even notice the people staring at him.

He walked to the entrance of the trials. The voice was getting louder. He was going to right way. His hand moved to pick up the sphere without him commanding it. He stepped into the trials, his body moving. He could feel his mind going fuzzy as he stepped closer to the chamber. The music got louder in his ears, the whispers of a thousand voices crying out for something- he couldn't make it out!

He turned around, a door opened, he tripped and he fell onto the fayth.

"Hello…" the voice said softly. "I hope I didn't frighten you too much."

A small boy appeared dressed in a hood. Quatre raised himself up onto his knees.

"Don't be afraid, Quatre. The first is always chosen against their will." He said.

"The first?" Quatre asked.

"Summoner…"

"I don't want… I've never" Quatre started. He couldn't understand why this was happening to him.

"You are special. You show compassion for the deaths of those around you. You are strong but take care not to abuse your power. You're smart and you're loved. All that is needed for being a summoner." He said. "And like I said. The first one- never gets a choice in the matter."

"But I'm not ready!" Quatre said. "Please!"

"You are," he said. "I'm sorry, this will hurt."

"But—" Quatre's voice was cut off when he saw a white flash before his eyes. An intense pain began in his head and he fell against the wall. The voice was heard through the pain.

"You're journey will be a hard one- but you must keep your fayth." It said. Quatre screamed and felt he choke as the fayth buried itself inside him. He couldn't breathe.

-Upstairs-

Lord Winner was standing at attention in a prayer with the other maesters when the singing in the chamber of the fayth stopped and a scream cut through the temple.

"It's happened." Maester Mika said softly. "The first Summoner has been chosen!"

The crowd at the temple resounded a "Praise be to Yevon" and the religious leaders stood up to exit the temple. Lord Winner was almost leaving when he saw Iria coming up to him, pushing through the crowd.

"Father, I can't find Quatre." She said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"He was there one minute and then he wasn't!" she said.

Lord Winner looked to the private door to the chamber and grew pale. The scream suddenly sounded too familiar, he pushed past the other maesters and ran through the chamber.

"Slow down, Hamish! You'll get to see the child soon enough!" Mika said smiling.

"What's wrong with him?" Seymour asked. "You'd think he'd never seen a Summoner before…"

Winner reached the last door before the chamber, he hit the last button and the door opened the fayth. And there breathing heavily, blood coming from between his lips was his son.

"Quatre…."

* * *

"Wufei…" Relena said pushing his hair aside and sitting on his lap. "Why is that girl staring at us?"

"Hm?" Wufei said looking at the porch. "Oh, that's Lulu."

"Lulu… Like, you're old girlfriend, Lulu?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said. "I'm guessing, seeing us together is hard for her."

"Did you tell her we were getting married?" she asked.

"It didn't come up," he said.

"God, no wonder! You're such a stupid, inconsiderate guy sometimes!" Relena said standing up.

"Don't be mad, you've been gone so long,…" he said.

"You could have gone with me." She said.

"You know I have to stay where Quatre stays." Wufei said standing up to puts his arms around her.

"Please, Quatre hasn't been on his pilgrimage in over a year. I think you could take a week off and a let Trowa or Duo fill in for you." She said.

"Yeah, both their mage skills suck…" he said.

"Hey!" Duo said. "I can take down a baby flan!"

"And that's something to completely brag about. I bet in Yuna's party they all have some basic magic." Wufei said.

"I'd love to see you assemble a frag grenade blindfolded." Heero said. "You'd blow your hand off."

"Is that a challenge?" Rikku asked. "Because I've got some artillery I can take apart!"

"Wufei will never take them up on an Al Bhed challenge, he's too chicken." Duo said.

"I am not!" Wufei said. "I'm not stupid either."

"Hafpea!" Quatre laughed as he lifted a kettle on a fire. _Newbie!_

"Like Quatre can do any better with machina." Wufei said.

Quatre picked up Heero's gun, unloaded it and loaded it, quickly.

"You were saying?" he asked.

"Fine! I suck a machina!" Wufei yelled.

The people around the fire laughed.

"You want me to teach you how to unload a gun?' Rikku asked Wufei.

"No!" he yelled.

* * *

Lulu stood on the porch looking out at Wufei. Wakka came out and stood beside her.

"They're a crazy lot, ya?" he said.

"I suppose they work well together and Rikku seems to be enjoying their company." She said sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Are you okay, Lu?"

"I used to know Wufei. Now, I'm not so sure I do anymore. He's changed." She said.

"So have you. Pilgrimage can do that." Wakka said.

"I haven't changed." She said.

"Yes, you have. You smile more and you've loosened up a bit. Also, because of the whole Yevon thing, we are now changing who we are as people. We're growing up- questioning. Thinking different. And it's because of Yuna, Tidus, Sir Auron, Rikku." He said.

"Are you saying you like Rikku now?" she asked.

"She's an okay kid. They Al Bhed aren't all bad I guess." He said. "She sure loves Yuna and that's what matters most to me."

"Where is Yuna, anyway? I haven't seen her since last night…" Lulu said.

"Me neither. Perhaps, we should go wake her up." Wakka said turning into the house. They walked up the stairs together toward the room Quatre had given Yuna.

"Lu?' Wakka asked. "Do you like Wufei?"

She stopped. "I used to. But like you said, we've changed."

"Just so you know. I'll always be here for ya." He said opening Yuna's door. The bed had never been slept in. "Where is she?"

"I'll go get Kimahri." Lulu said.

"I'll get Tidus up." Wakka said.

They both turned in opposite directions. Lulu stopped at the top of the stairs when she heard two voices yelp.

"Fuck man! Don't you knock?" Tidus yelled.

Lulu turned just in time to see Tidus being pulled out of the room in his shorts only, no shoes by Wakka and slammed against the wall. Wakka then slammed the door behind him.

"Oh Yuna, you didn't." Lulu said.

* * *

End of Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter 9

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm trying to get these out quickly as to not get distracted by my job. However, at the end of the month I have several projects coming to head and chapters may not come out. I warned you.

* * *

Relena crawled through the mud by the river. The water was now red with blood. She held back a scream at the sight of Treize's daughter laying there, her throat slashed open. Smoke poured from the area near the village, the screams could be heard, the flames licking through the trees near the center of town. She heard rustling through the pushes, she lifted her gun and her arms shook.

"Lena, don't!" the voice said. It was Wufei. Relena felt her arms drop and heard this sound that sounded like a dying animal. It was awful. Suddenly Wufei's arms were around her and he was covering her mouth with his hand. "Sh… We have to go, now!"

He picked her up, much like a child and carried her past the bushes to a small clearing behind the temple.

"Wufei. I'm going to be sick." She whispered.

"Okay." He said. He held her hair back.

"What's happening?" she asked. She suddenly felt very small and young.

"They've come for us…" Wufei said. "Duo thought this might happen."

"Please don't leave me here!" she cried.

"Sh…" he said. "They'll hear us."

"Wufei, what was the screaming? What was on fire?" she asked.

He shook his head slowly and didn't answer… Relena suddenly noticed Wufei's hands were shaking too.

Voices were suddenly heard and footsteps.

"Quatre! Nih!" Heero yelled. _Quatre! Run!_

Wufei could see just Quatre's legs in the temple from where they were sitting.

"I have to go Lena. It's my job to protect him…" He leaned in and kissed her. "I'm sorry, we brought this here."

"I love you." She said.

A second set of footsteps and the sounds of a knife being removed from its sheath.

"Father…" Quatre's voice said calmly. "How could you?"

* * *

"Yuna!" Wakka said watching Yuna slip back into her clothing. "How could you? Your vow to Yevon!! You just through it away for some boy!"

"Wakka, please! Let me get dressed and we'll talk about this." Yuna stammered. She was mortified to have basically her brother see her naked.

"I knew he was trouble; from day one!" Wakka yelled.

"Bull! You liked Tidus!" Yuna said slipping her robe on. "If anything, you wanted him to join up more than anyone…"

Wakka turned red and slammed a hand on the dresser in the room.

"Doesn't change the fact. Once a Summoner starts the pilgrimage they are to abstain from all worldly pleasures. And that includes- sex with cute blondes!" he said.

"I love him!" she said. "And if I am to die in Zanarkand in a few weeks why can't I know what it feels like to love somebody!!?"

Wakka stopped and stared at Yuna. She was so angry, there were tears in her eyes as she stood there. He turned around and walked out of the room.

"Wakka!" she said. "Don't do anything stupid!"

Wakka saw Tidus still leaning against the wall he had thrown him up against.

"Out!" Wakka yelled.

'What?" Tidus asked.

"You heard me, buster! You're out of the group." And with that Wakka grabbed Tidus by the arm and pulled him down the stairs past Yuna and tossed him out of the house.

"You can't stop me being her guardian, Wakka! Yuna chose me! She gets to say when I stop!" Tidus said.

The villagers standing by the fire outside stopped what they were doing and stared at the visitors fighting.

"You violated a sacred code between guardian and summoner! An order of Yevon that has been passed down for hundreds of years! And I know since we been on this trip that things have been a little crazy but that still doesn't change that there are rules that you have to abide by!" Wakka said.

"Who are you to say what Yuna can or cannot do? She's old enough to go fight Sin for you but she's not old enough to be with me?" Tidus asked.

That's when the anger built up in Wakka so severely that his arm slung back and he hit Tidus, right in mouth. Tidus' head snapped back, his eye's widened and then narrowed and before Wakka knew it, Tidus had jumped on top of him and they were both on the ground punching and tearing at each other.

* * *

Rikku had been laughing with the villagers when the door to Trowa's house slammed open and Titus was thrown out into the street. Titus landed on the ground but quickly stood up.

"fryd dra ramm ec kuehk uh?" Heero asked her. _What the hell is going on?_

"Ruf ys E cibbucat du ghuf?" she said_. How am I supposed to know?_

"Drao'na ouin vneahtc..." he said shaking his head. _They're your friends._

Wakka suddenly got in Tidus' face. "You violated a sacred code between guardian and summoner! An order of Yevon that has been passed down for hundreds of years! And I know since we been on this trip that things have been a little crazy but that still doesn't change that there are rules that you have to abide by!"

Rikku had never seen Wakka this angry before.

"What code?" she asked to Heero.

"Um…" he said. "I think that your friend might have gotten romantically involved with your summoner."

"And that's not allowed?" she asked.

"You're a terrible guardian." He said flatly ignoring the yelling Tidus was doing.

"I just started!" she sighed, "How am I supposed to know all these rules?"

Rikku and Heero's heads snapped toward Wakka and Tidus as they saw Wakka give Tidus a right hook in the jaw. Then, Tidus took a step back and jumped on the taller redhead.

"Oh shit!' Duo yelled. "Break it up! Fei! Trowa!"

Auron, Wufei, Trowa and Duo pulled the two apart after several minutes and tussling. By the end, you could see Tidus was on the loosing end of most of the punches and was in serious need of a Cura. His eye was red and the blood poured from his lip.

Lulu and Yuna stood on the porch.

"Can you two handle the white magic?" Duo asked.

"Yes." Yuna said. "Bring Tidus in here. I don't think they should stay in the same place."

"Wakka can stay at my place." Wufei said flatly still holding Wakka's shoulder firmly. "Trowa?" Both men dragged him down the street to Wufei's smaller hut.

* * *

Rikku came up on the porch with Lulu.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Wakka caught them together…" Lulu said. "He shouldn't have done what he did but Yuna and Tidus have done something that defies Yevon's laws."

"Being in love?" she asked not wanting to offend Lulu.

"It's not that… When you take the vow of pilgrimage, you give yourself to Yevon fully and Yuna has just thrown that away for a person who vowed to protect her under Yevon's order. Do you understand?" she said.

"I don't know." Rikku said. "It's very confusing to me."

"This whole journey has been." Lulu said.

* * *

End of Chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter Ten

* * *

"Wufei, turn it off!" she made a reach for the sphere camera and the man behind it.

"No, you're beautiful when you look like this…" Wufei's voice said.

"What? No makeup at three am?" she asked. "I doubt it."

"You're calm. You're not over thinking. Most of our class thinks you're cold. I think if they saw you like this, they wouldn't." he said.

"I don't care if they think I'm a bitch…" she paused. "Turn it off, Wufei."

"I'm leaving! Don't you care? I could die and you deny me a sphere of my naked girlfriend? You are cruel creature…" he said laughing.

The camera shifted and suddenly both of them were in the sphere.

Wufei put his arms around Lulu; her tears stained the top of his shoulder.

"Lulu, don't! I was trying to be funny." He said.

"If you die, I'll never love again." She said.

"That's not true. What about that guy from home that you were always going on about when we first met? The guy that now plays blitz ball?" he asked.

"Wakka?' she asked. "Please, now that he's famous I doubt he remembers me."

"Who could forget you…'Wufei said.

"Pick up the camera." She said.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to give you something to keep you warm on those cold nights on the road!" she said standing up with the sheet around her.

The camera shifed.

"Lulu, Yevon teaches love." Wufei said. 'I want you to, if I leave…"

"I'm waiting…" she said. And she dropped the sheet. The camera scanned and then was set down on the dresser, Wufei came into the frame and pulled her down. She laughed,

"You only have two hours before your boat!" she said.

"I'll pack light…" he said.

* * *

Trowa and Wufei dragged Wakka into Wufei's house and sat him down into the one chair in the small hut; Duo followed them in looking at Wakka with a frown on his face.

"Don't make them tie you down, I'll make them if you don't calm down." He said.

"Like they would listen to you?" Wakka asked.

"We would," Trowa said. "He's kind of the boss around here."

"Also if you don't listen, he just annoys you until you do." Wufei said.

"So, Wakka. You want to explain why I have guardian smeared across main street?" Duo asked. "Or do I have to guess from the way the two of you were screaming at each other?"

"Titus broke the rules, I'm above him so I made sure that he knew that I wasn't going to stand for it." Wakka said.

"Rules?" Duo said. "A little rule or a big rule?"

"The biggest." Wakka said. "He took advantage of Yuna in her state- she's just a kid! And he shoulda known better."

"I think she's more than a kid if she's willing to sacrifice herself for Spira." Wufei said firmly.

"Wouldn't expect you guys to understand. Your summoner has left pilgrimage and is now breaking rules that hold the penalty of religious prison back in Bevelle." Wakka said.

Trowa stiffened at the idea, but he saw Wufei sit down at Wakka's feet.

"You can believe what you want to believe about Quatre and all of us. But Quatre never broke the pledge until we came here. He had received all five of the main aeons by the time your group had started their journey and was thought to be the one to stop Sin. But when we came here- everything changed. Once he received the machina aeon and his sister killed, Quatre couldn't journey anymore. He had lost his belief in Yu Yevon knowing what was best for him." Wufei said. "There is so much injustice in the world we live in, Wakka. Women, children, babies are dying everyday to horrible deaths I wouldn't wish upon a fiend. Our group is tired Wakka, we've lost too many already and we just don't have it in us to fight about stupid things like religion and rules of engagement."

Wakka was quiet and couldn't look at Wufei. Here he was being schooled by the guy he was so sure was the ex-boyfriend of the girl he loved.

"Promise me you won't break the blonde's face anymore?" Duo asked.

"Yeah" Wakka said. "I'm good."

"Stay in here and cool off." Trowa said. "We'll leave you alone." Trowa ushered the other two guys out and Wakka looked around the smaller room. Like a lot of places in Spira, Wufei's taste seemed to come from the south with rich tapestries and bright colors of red and gold. Wakka could smell the incense and candles from the small shrine and atomatically relaxed.

He stood up and walked around the room a bit. He could see spell books on the tables, charms and potion bottles. He picked up one of the books and saw it was a hand written journal.

* * *

_Djose Highroad, Day 30_

_Our group today got in a bit of trouble; an Al Bhed boy who is writing a book cataloging the fiends and their weaknesses saved us. I don't know if I fully trust him, but he did save our skin from some fiends that surely would have done us in. He says his book is to help summoners on their journeys be able to travel to Zanarkand faster and not die as often on the journey due to smaller battles. _

_Quatre finds Heero fascinating and is bugging him with all sorts of questions. Apparently he has been traveling alone for over a year working on his book and Quatre wants him to come with us so that he can have a more accurate account of what a real pilgrimage is like. Iria is firmly against it; she thinks that he could be planning something._

_What's worse is Quatre took him into Djose temple… The boy was fascinated by it and has not tried anything yet, but I'm wary. If he tries to hurt Quatre or kidnap him- I'll slit his throat._

_

* * *

_

The wind pushed through the windows and the book fluttered in Wakka's hands. The pages turned and Wakka found himself staring at a drawing of Lulu without any clothes; covered only in a sheet. He didn't know whether to run off and hit Wufei or cry. Lulu was beautiful in the drawing; her hair was down and she wore no makeup. The inscription underneath just read: _the night I left_. Wakka looked down the entry beside it.

* * *

_Kilika, 4__th__ Lunar Cycle, Day 5_

_I miss her. I'm sitting now in a temple in Kilika waiting for Quatre to come out of the chamber of the fayth and all I can think about is Lu. I should be concerned for Quatre. The last chamber was rough for him- Iria is pacing back in front of the door listening for sounds. But I'm feeling lonely and then… regret that I'm not feeling more protective. It's just I wish I had been given a summoner who actually wanted to be one and not some kid who was chosen by Yevon. _

_He seems so scared and unwilling every time he gets near a temple. It was easier today. It makes me wonder what it's like in there for summoners. We never spoke of it in school. _

_I wish Lu was with me now, I could use her strength and sarcasm to get me through the nights when I feel like running away. I could use her when I see people dead by Sin. I wish… things were different here. But I think everyone here feels the same way. It is my job to keep Quatre alive to Zanarkand, that's what I'll do- if it kills me. I hope it doesn't. Yevon, please don't let this journey kill me._

_

* * *

_

Wakka suddenly felt very guilty for reading the book. And suddenly very wrong for judging Wufei; he sounded so young in the writing. Wakka turned and saw Lulu in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I… uh." He stammered.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It's nothing." He said sitting it down and closing it.

"Lying, Wakka? Hitting Tidus? What's next?" she said coming in; a blur of black belts and fur. She opened the book and gasped.

_Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get to touch her again…._

"This is personal." She said slamming it shut. "You shouldn't be reading that."

"I know," Wakka said softly.

"I don't know what's gotten into you since we stepped into this town, Wakka… But you need to cut it out," she said. "Fighting, lying, violating people's privacy, insulting people, I'm surprised they haven't kicked us out!"

"Yeah." He said looking at her. She really was beautiful.

"What are you staring at me like that for?" she asked. "You're creeping me out!"

"Do you still love him?" he asked.

"Love who?" she asked angrily.

"Wufei." He said. "I know that you and he… and I just wanted to know if you still cared for him… like that."

"No!" she yelled. Wakka stared at her. "Maybe, I don't know! I thought he was dead. Everyone did; he took off over a year ago and then he and his summoner disappeared off the face of the planet back when Kilika was attacked. I was so sure that I was never going to see him again."

"He's moved on with the blonde girl." He said.

"Thanks for rubbing it in." she said.

"How does that make you feel?" he asked.

"Great." She said.

"Lulu," he said. 'I know you put up a front sometimes, but I know that behind that façade is the girl I used to play with as a kid. The one who used to cry if I ignored her for too long. You're not made of stone as much as you'd like to be."

"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"I'm saying that if we can't have something to look forward to at the end of this journey, then what do we have to live for?" he said. Lulu said nothing looking at Wakka. He sighed and continued, "I know you think of me as some stupid Blitz ball player but I could be more than that for you. I could take care of you when Sin is gone. We wouldn't have to fight any more. We could live on the island, just you and me. And no one would bother us."

"It's a nice idea, Wakka." She said. "But what about our friends?"

"We'd see 'em when we wanted to." He said. "Just promise me you'll think about it."

"I will." She said.

"I'm a good man Lu, if you'd just let me in." he said stepping in closer to grab her hand.

"I said I'd think about it," she said.

Wakka smiled and walked out of the hut. Lu turned and looked at the journal sitting on the small wooden desk. She looked to the door, picked it up and flipped to a page.

* * *

_A machina aeon. What the hell have we stepped into by coming into this cursed town? First, we walk into the place right after a fucking Sin attack and now this- Quatre is the first summoner in 300 years to receive the aeon from a "dead temple". The town leader believes that his brother is now the fayth in the temple._

_But Quatre is not well. He is weak and ill since it happened. And he won't speak… Any time he does it comes out in Al Bhed and Heero has to talk to him. Quatre didn't know hardly any Al Bhed before this town and now Heero says he's speaking an archaic dialect that he can barely understand. _

_I don't know what to make of all this. I pray every night to Yevon to give me strength and to help me see the answers in his plan but I can't see any reasoning in this. We're lost since we've arrived here. And the journey now seems impossible…_

_

* * *

_

Lulu looked at Wakka and closed the book.

"What is this place?" She asked.


	11. Chapter 11

Unsent and Unseen

Chapter 11

* * *

Kilika temple was burning hot on the inside. Even though he was not supposed to Quatre removed his robe and then sat before the altar of the aeon. He was supposed to pray now.

How was someone supposed to pray for something that you knew was going to hurt? Knew was going to end in your destruction. It made no sense. Quatre at there for who knows how long looking at his hands; the sweat pooled on his forehead and dripped down.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice suddenly.

Quatre looked up to see the aeon in front of him. It was a soldier.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The aeon replied. "But I cannot give you my gift without knowing that you will do good with it and that you will try to improve lives with it."

"I was told I didn't have a choice in this matter. I was chosen- I didn't want this life!" Quatre said standing up. He was suddenly angry. Now they were going to take it away. After forcing him to leave his home, after forcing two aeons into his brains they were going to take it away because he wasn't thrilled about dying in his teens?

"No one wants to die young… I didn't plan on this life for myself." The aeon spoke. "But Yevon had a different plan for me and it had a different plan for you. You must trust that Yevon knows greater than you. You must let your petty anger go and instead use that energy to create good in this world."

He was silent then. He leaned against the wall of the chamber, tired.

"What if I can't do it?" he asked.

"Then you cannot but you MUST believe you can until that moment." The soldier said. "Pray, trust and believe in yourself and Yevon's plan for you."

Quatre sat down and thought for a very long time. He thought about his sister who was putting her life on the line for him. About Wufei who was so trusting in his destiny to protect Quatre. He thought about the maesters who praised him for being the first chosen and his father being proud of him for the first time in his life. The pressure of everyone's approval weighed heavily on him.

"I don't think I'm strong enough…" Quatre said softly.

"Then find someone in your life who can believe in you when you can not." It spoke.

"Don't fight the wind, Summoner. Let it blow you gently in the direction it wishes and then when it is tired, stand strong again."

Quatre closed his eyes and has quiet for what felt like a very long time. The fire around him, he stood up.

"Okay. I'm ready." He said.

"Excellent. I'm sorry for the pains you will face in the future but trust that Yevon is giving you this pain for a greater purpose."

A flash of light hit his eyes and he felt himself falling to his knees. He had been told that relaxing made this process less painful but obviously the Maester who said this had been a moron who had never experienced it! Quatre could only see images flashes in front of his eyes, he saw battles and destruction, and finally he passed out.

* * *

"Wakka… Don't" Lulu said as she chased him through the small town square. Wakka was looking for someone, anyone who could answer where the hell they were and what was wrong with this place?

"YOU!" Wakka yelled. The boy with the long braid looked up suddenly.

"Oh, not you again. Has someone let him into the mead?" he yelled off to a young village man who laughed looking in Wakka's direction.

"What is going on with your town? Why are all the people so scared and the temple deserted with no one to tend for it? Why are your people clinging to a summoner who is obviously failing in his journey by staying with you?" he asked.

Yuna came out of the small house and stood on the porch. Rikku came out to stand next to her.

"What is wrong with Wakka?" Rikku asked.

"He seems upset about something…" Yuna said. "Let's go calm him down before he gets us all in trouble."

"If you have questions about Quatre, you need to ask him. It's not my business to share his personal business with you." Duo said firmly moving some small logs to a fire in the city center.

"Obviously, this group is not so forth coming with the details. The aeon in the temple! Where did it come from? There is no fayth there… It's been a dead temple for hundreds of years!"

"We don't know!" Duo said. "All of a sudden, it was just there! It was-" Duo stopped speaking and Wakka turned to see Heero, the al bhed boy standing behind him.

"It was- what?" Lulu asked.

"It came after the attack. There had never been one there before and after the attack, it just came."

"Perhaps one of villagers gave himself up to Yevon during the attack. Selfless acts of sacrifice can often lead to aeons being created." Yuna said.

"Everyone was selfless." Duo said softly.

"Was a very devout person selfless?' Yuna asked. "It's okay if you don't want to tell us."

Duo went quiet.

"His brother was the protector and care giver of the temple." Heero suddenly said. "He was the religious leader of the village. A good man, he helped many after the Sin attack, before we came. He died because of the poison and he died in what remains of the temple." He said coming over to take Duo's hand. "His brother is the fayth, we believe."

Yuna reached out and touched Duo's arm. "I'm very sorry…"

"Don't pity me." Duo said walking away and entering his house, slamming the door behind him.

"I'm not!" Yuna called after him.

Heero followed quietly after Duo and closed the door behind him. That seemed to be how their relationship worked. Duo made a bunch of noise and got noticed and then Heero came quietly afterward to quiet things down.

"Why are you holding my diary?" said a voice behind Wakka. Wakka and Lulu turned to see Wufei standing behind them arms crossed. The blonde girl looked curiously onto them.

"That's private…" Wufei said coming forward and taking it from Wakka. "You had no right looking at it!"

"We just wanted to understand. I wanted to- aw.. man" Wakka stopped talking realizing he wasn't going to be able to make sense.

"You wanted to understand what?" she asked.

"Relena, stop it!" Wufei said. "They don't need to know anything. They're passing through on the way the Calm Lands."

"Perhaps hearing will help them on their journey. Lulu used to be your friend, Fei. Don't you want to help her succeed?" she asked looking at him.

"We want to understand what could have happened for the fayth to appear." Lulu said. "What was so unique to Quatre's journey to make it come?"

"It was probably the betrayal of the church against Quatre." Wufei said. "And the fact he has sex in the temple the night before it appeared."

"He did what?" Yuna asked. "That is forbidden."

"A summoner is supposed to stay pure for the journey to not waste energy of mortal temptations, we know…" Wufei said. "But Quatre broke that religious law and the next day, it came to him. I can't explain it any other way."

"The aeon only comes to the un pure summoners? It must be evil…" Wakka said.

"No fayth is evil." Rikku said. "Right?"

"No. A fayth is pure of intention but only gives it's self to ones it finds worthy. Perhaps this fayth likes summoners who are different." Yuna said.

'Different by boning another person in the church?" Rikku asked. "Even I, who am not the biggest fan of Yevon would highly dispute that."

"Then what then?" Yuna asked.

"It liked me." A calm voice said from the porch of Trowa's house. Quatre's figure came slowly as he walked closer to the fire. "It said it chose me because I was brave enough to break the rules and I loved another person. I think the fayth needs someone who is in love."

* * *

Quatre was hit in the face again.

"Where did it come from?" the soldier demanded. "Yu Yevon demands you tell us!"

"It came from a temple." Quatre said. "I came here to show you because it was a miracle…"

"It's not a miracle. It's heresy." He said spitting on him.

"Stop…" a calm voice spoke. His voice had a musical quality to it. "Leave us, please…"

"But Maester Seymour!" the soldier stammered.

"I believe that I will be able to get answers out of the summoner much easier than you. After all, you catch more flies with honey don't you Lord Quatre?"

Quatre stayed silent but felt an uneasy feeling rising in his stomach. The soldier left.

"Where is my sister? And my friends?" Quatre asked.

"If you were really worried about them I'd think you would want to tell us before we threw them down into the Cloister of Trials." he asked getting closer to Quatre's face for his liking.

"I've told you. I got it from a temple."

"What temple in Yevon's good graces would hold a machina aeon that allows it's summoner to speak the foul language of the unsaved?" Seymour stated. "Don't be silly. Has Sin twisted your soul, summoner?"

"No…" Quatre said.

"You seem much stronger than when you left Bevelle? I wonder why? Your friends on your journey don't seem to be the kind that one would be envious of. And your poor sister, before your calling wasn't she to be married? An engaged girl shouldn't be running through the woods protected her brother when her fiancé is off getting killed at Sin's hands."

"Killed? What happened to Rashid?" Quatre asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you hear? An awful Sin attack in Kilika a few days ago… Took out so many young, innocent souls. Too bad you weren't there to protect them."

"Leave me alone. I told you everything I know!"

"I don't think you did. I can tell!" Seymour yelled flipping Quatre out of his chair and onto his back. "I can smell the lies on you, Lord Quatre. What are you keeping from us?"

Quatre saw the door open and his father's profile enter his vision. Quatre closed his eyes.

"I have told you everything. The machina aeon came to me at a temple."

"Which temple?" Quatre's father asked.

Quatre kept his mouth shut. He didn't want any more harm to come to Trowa or Duo or any of the people in the town.

"Which temple?" he asked again. Quatre could tell he was angry.

His father stood over him and then he felt a boot step one of his tied hands. Quatre cried out as he felt a bone snap in one of his fingers.

"Which temple…"

Another snap.

"Your friends also have fingers Lord Quatre and I'm not nearly as gentle as your father is…" Seymour stated standing up. "I hear that the Al Bhed are particularly susceptible to scarring."

"Trankuel!" Quatre yelled. "The temple was in Trankuel…"

Quatre's father lifted his boot and stared at Seymour. "Send them to the Cloisters. I'll send a team to Trankuel and get rid of what ever heretic is residing in the temple."

"Father!" Quatre said. "You can't…"

"Just pray Quatre. Don't fight any longer. Yevon is the only one who can save you and your sister now…" he said and Quatre's father left the room.

End of Chapter 11


End file.
